Message from Mayor Murray

Dear friends,

Public safety is the foremost responsibility of city government. All Seattle residents deserve to be secure in their homes, safe in their neighborhoods, and able to explore our city without threat or intimidation. My vision for a safe Seattle extends to ensuring that people feel safe and comfortable traveling in our growing city, whether as a pedestrian, on a bike, or by car.

Seattle is a leader in traffic safety, and for the past decade, collisions on our streets have steadily declined. We were also recently named the safest city for pedestrians in the United States by Liberty Mutual Insurance. While this is wonderful news, there is still much more we can do to save lives, because even one death on our streets is unacceptable.

With this document and with many concrete and forward thinking actions to come, we are confirming our commitment to ending traffic deaths and serious injuries on our streets by 2030. This is our Vision Zero.

At the core of the worldwide Vision Zero movement is the belief that death and injury on city streets is unacceptable and preventable. Cities across the globe have set similar goals and are seeing serious reductions in crashes, deaths, and injuries.

Through smarter street design, targeted enforcement, and education, we will make our streets even safer for people of all ages and abilities, especially pedestrians and people on bikes, as they're the most vulnerable to death and injury on our streets. The loss of a friend, parent, or child is an excruciating experience that no one should have to endure. A Vision Zero mentality and this plan will help us save lives.

I look forward to working with you all, as we each have a part to play in making this vision a reality.